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Although yen suggests no more than a strong desire these days (as in "a yen for a beach vacation"), at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble: the first meaning of yen was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from Cantonese yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning "opium," and yáhn, "craving." In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen.
Synonyms of yen
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Noun (2)
Verb
Examples of yen in a Sentence
Noun (2)
I have a strange yen to take the day off from work
Verb
what car lover doesn't yen for a new car at the start of every model year
Recent Examples on the Web
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
That is throwing a wrench into a trading strategy that relies on borrowing relatively cheap Japanese yen.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
While Hollywood’s yen for the sequel kicked off in the 1970s, with results in categories good (The Godfather Part II), bad (More American Graffiti), and ugly (The Shaggy D.A.), the 1980s is when the form really exploded.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2025
Prices start at 12,500 Japanese yen (about $81 USD) for an adult group lesson and 15,000 Japanese yen (about $97 USD) for children.
—Mae Hamilton, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2025
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Noun
Carry trade refers to borrowing in a currency with lower interest rates and investing in high-yielding assets, with the Japanese yen being the predominant currency funding such trades as the country's had a negative interest rates policy.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
That is throwing a wrench into a trading strategy that relies on borrowing relatively cheap Japanese yen.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
While Hollywood’s yen for the sequel kicked off in the 1970s, with results in categories good (The Godfather Part II), bad (More American Graffiti), and ugly (The Shaggy D.A.), the 1980s is when the form really exploded.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2025
Prices start at 12,500 Japanese yen (about $81 USD) for an adult group lesson and 15,000 Japanese yen (about $97 USD) for children.
—Mae Hamilton, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yen
Cite this Entry
“Yen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yen. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.
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